On September 26, 2023 at 18.00 in the xcelsior design space at Uzvaras boulevard 9 in Pārdaugava, the the National Design Award of Latvia event "Design Summer" will be held, which will focus on product design. Designers, design clients, manufacturers, media and design enthusiasts are invited to participate.
"A well-designed product is not only aesthetically attractive, it also possesses excellent functionality and performance. Product designers today work hand-in-hand with engineering teams to ensure that form and function are seamlessly aligned. By optimizing the choice of materials, structural integrity and usability considerations, products become more reliable, efficient and user-friendly", says Dita Danosa, head of the Latvian Design Centre.
The event will offer an opportunity to see the winner of the product design category of the National Design Award of Latvia 2023- military vehicle "VR-1-FOX" and listen to the presentations of three product designers about their current works and experience in product creation, design process and ask questions and discuss interesting topics in an informal atmosphere.
Designer Edijs Ļaksa will talk about the military vehicle "VR-1-FOX", designed and manufactured in Latvia according to the order of the National Armed Forces. This car is unique in its performance, combining the maneuverability of a light buggy and the durability of an SUV. The design of the vehicle allows it to quickly and easily adapt to the vehicle to perform various tasks even without prior knowledge.
The young designer Jurģis Grasmanis will present the "Median" chair. His design won first place in the KAGU design competition organized by the Japanese city of Higashikawa and architect Kengo Kuma (Kengo Kuma & Higashikawa KAGU Design Competition). Jurģis is a fourth-year student at RTU's bachelor's programme in industrial design. The strategy of the designer is to seek out novel technological and practical solutions, which he aims to put into practise by developing his own products and working with design manufacturers.
The third speaker of the evening will be Fricis Kalvelis, designer of Gamechanger Audio. «Gamechanger Audio'' creates pedals for unprecedented audio effects, which are used in concerts by such legends as «The Rolling Stones», «Rammstein», «Aerosmith», Jack White, Jean-Michel Jarre and many others. Music is the passion of the founders of Gamechanger Audio, and they are committed to exploring the uncharted territories of music electronics and creating devices that help develop the imaginations of musicians and engineers alike.
Programm
18.00 – 18.30 arrival and viewing of «VR-1-FOX»
18.30 – 18.40 news of Latvian design world presented by Dita Danosa
18.40 – 20.00 Product design presentations
- Edijs Ļaksa and his military vehicle «VR-1-FOX»
- Jurģis Grasmanis and his chair «Median»
- Fricis Kalvelis and «Gamechanger Audio» product design
20.00. Informal conversations
Anyone interested is invited to the event. Free entry, but pre-registration is mandatory, because the number of places is limited. Registration link here.
The event is organized by the Latvian Design Centre in cooperation with creative industry communication platform FOLD and xcelsior design space. The event is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of Latvia.
Latvijas Dizaina gada balva ir augstākais apbalvojums dizaina jomā Latvijā, ko pasniedz ar mērķi apzināt, izvērtēt un popularizēt Latvijas dizaineru sasniegumus, kā arī veicināt Latvijā radīta dizaina izmantošanu un dizaina nozares attīstību. Darbu iesniegšana Latvijas Dizaina gada balvai 2024 būs atvēra divos periodos: Rudens pieteikšanās konkursam būs no 2023.gada 1.oktobra līdz 31.oktobrim un ziemas pieteikšanās – no 2024.gada 2. janvāra līdz 31. janvārim. Vairāk informācijas par balvu https://dizainabalva.lv
Latvian Design Centre is a member of the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA) and an official partner of the European Commission's New European Bauhaus Initiative. Latvian Design Centre is involved in design policy making, research and education, and initiates cooperation and strategic partnerships with other design organizations, designers, companies and design users. With the support of the Ministry of Culture, Latvian Design Centre maintains the creative industry communication platform FOLD (www.fold.lv).